Heavy People May Influence How You Eat

Eating with a heavy person might lead you to eat less healthfully, a study suggests. In four different scenarios, a professional actress either appeared as usual or wore a suit that made her look overweight. On different occasions, she either served herself a large helping of pasta and small portion of salad, or vice versa. College students—82 in all—watched her and then served themselves. No matter what the actress ate, students ate more pasta when she looked overweight than when she didn’t. When she served herself more salad than pasta while appearing overweight, the students ate less salad than when she looked slender. Researchers hypothesize that eating around heavier people may cause others to lose touch with their own health goals. Source:Appetite, published online Oct. 2, 2014